Tall, Dark and Furry (The Elementals Book 1)

by Meredith Allen Conner

She wheeled around back to the hole, took a few extremely cautious steps closer and raised her voice to just above a whisper, “So, does this place make my butt look big or what?”

  The silly secret phrase.

  She held her breath again. One heartbeat. Two.

  Oh, please. Please, please, please.

  The floorboards above creaked.

  A familiar face appeared in the opening of the hole. Sela ignored the gun pointed at her.

  “Livie.”

  The two sisters stared at each other for long seconds. Neither moved. Finally, Livie lowered the gun.

  “Sela?” Livie’s voice shook.

  Sela nodded, too overwhelmed to say anything.

  Livie’s face disappeared then her legs swung through the hole and a second later she dropped lightly onto the top of the old TV.

  Sela swallowed a loud cry. She took a trembling step forward.

  “No wait!” Livie called. “Don’t move. Just give me a second.”

  Staying on top of the TV, Livie bent over and yanked a ragged cloth out of the way. The light reflected briefly off of what looked to be a section of string. Livie did some more maneuvering then stood up.

  She stepped off the TV, on the other side. “Okay, Sela move a couple steps to your left.” Sela did as instructed and waited.

  Livie looked around as if checking things in the mess. She turned and a wide smile crossed her face. She said, “Just walk in a straight line.”

  Sela shot right towards Livie. Livie hurtled forward at the same time. They met in the middle, arms gripping tightly, laughing and crying. Cheeks pressed together, they stroked backs, arms, hair – any part of the other they could touch without moving out of the embrace.

  Sela couldn’t feel any serious injuries, but Livie was definitely thinner than she remembered.

  I can’t believe it. My sister. I’m actually holding my sister.

  Blubbering, laughing and talking at the same time, they pulled back slightly. Sela cupped Livie’s cheek. A dark bruise rode along the upper portion of her cheekbone.

  Livie petted Sela’s hair. Tears poured down their cheeks.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Livie sobbed and laughed in the same breath.

  “I can’t either. Oh, I’ve missed you!” Sela dragged Livie close again. She pushed her face into her neck, drenching her shirt and inhaling her scent. The familiar warm perfume that was Livie flowed into her. Memories, hardwired into her scent, bombarded Sela.

  She pulled back again. “Last time I saw you, you had just snatched two wallets before boarding that train.” Light fingered and quick, Livie provided – stole - for the sisters when they couldn’t find any money on their passed out mother.

  “Three,” Livie huffed. “You were never able to see a good nab.”

  Sela laughed. She couldn’t deny it. Before they separated, the girls relied on each other’s strengths to stay alive. Sela could always locate food and tried to provide some nurturing for her sisters. Livie could always be counted on to steal the food Sela found and anything else they needed. And Rea provided protection. Trust and innocence would get you killed on the streets faster than anything. Sela couldn’t remember a time when Rea hadn’t carried a gun or a knife. Now, it seemed Livie did too.

  “Do you know where Rea is?” Sela asked.

  The light faded from Livie’s eyes for a minute. “No.” She shook her head. “I have no idea. I haven’t heard from her in . . . ” Livie swallowed and shrugged.

  Sela nodded. She hadn’t heard from Rea in at least a year either. She stroked gently over the bruise on Livie’s cheek. “Well, we’ll find her one of these days.”

  “Sure we will.”

  Sela pulled Livie close and buried her face in her hair so they wouldn’t have to look at each other while they spoke the possible lie.

  Suddenly, Livie jerked back. “Hey, how did you find me? I know I told you I was going to New Orleans, but that was – what? – how many years ago? Why would you think I would still be here?”

  Livie searched Sela’s face. “And why come to find me?”

  Sela didn’t blame Livie for being angry. It was their cardinal rule – stay apart, stay free, stay alive.

  But Sela thought she needed to share all that she had learned in the past few days with her sisters. If everything turned out to be true – their family history, the werewolves’ connection to them, the possibility of finding out more information on their enemy, and using that against the MIBs – then the risk of being caught together was worth it.

  If everything turned out to be true.

  Sela had no reason to doubt Mac and, given their past, no reason to trust him either.

  Livie’s gonna kill me.

  Sela’s stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. Livie’s mimicked the sound. Livie smiled but her eyes remained guarded.

  “Why don’t we go get something to eat and I’ll tell you the whole story then,” Sela suggested, glad to have an excuse to delay things for a moment.

  Livie sighed. “Unless you have any cash, our choices are dumpster dining or waiting until I can find something to steal.”

  Her stomach growled again, the sound rumbling around like an echo trapped in an empty room. Sela wondered just how often her sister ate these days. Not very often, by the looks of her.

  Sela linked arms with Livie and tugged her towards the back of the house. “I’ve got cash. I can liberate a wallet with the best of them these days.”

  Livie smiled and patted her shoulder. “Nice to know you’ve learned something.”

  Sela grinned, ignoring the snide reference to her breaking their most important rule.

  They turned sideways to get through the door, unwilling to let go of each other for a moment. Sela understood Livie’s concerns, but took heart from her obvious need for physical reassurance.

  Livie pulled Sela to the side so they skirted the horrible pile in the middle of the room.

  “Seals, you’re going to need to clean off that shoe before any restaurant will let us inside.”

  Sela made a face. “A welcoming present of yours?”

  Livie laughed. “It’s kept out most people so far. No one wants to go into a house that smells like a row of outhouses.”

  They stepped through the open back door, pausing to search the shadows and listen for any strange sounds. After a moment, they nodded at each other and Sela gratefully scraped her shoe along the weeds until it looked to be as clean as it could be without throwing it in a washing machine.

  Livie pointed to a break in the shrubbery at the back of the property. “We can head through there.” Her stomach rumbled again. “The closest restaurants are a few blocks over.”

  Sela nodded. How often did Livie eat these days?

  Well, she would feed her until she couldn’t eat another bite and then stuff more food into her.

  The two sisters walked to the back of the yard, as they turned sideways to cross through the bushes, Sela asked. “So, how do you feel about werewolves?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Livie chewed, her cheeks swollen with food. She chewed, glared at Sela then swallowed. She took a large gulp of water, glared at Sela some more and forked up another enormous bite of pasta.

  Sela cupped her chin in one hand and watched her sister. This was Livie’s second plate. They had already finished one plate of pasta each. Sela felt like a bloated tick, but Livie . . . Damn it all, Livie had been starving. But why? She was such a good thief.

  Livie swallowed, drank, glared and forked up another bite. She brought the loaded fork to her mouth then paused. Clearly, torn between inhaling the food as quickly as possible, and yelling at her sister, she hesitated.

  She eyed the fork, scowled at Sela and eyed the fork again.

  Sela sighed. “The food isn’t going anywhere except your mouth Livie.”

  “It’s not funny, Seals.”

  “I’m not trying to be funny, Livie.” Sela knew this wouldn’t be easy. Trust, in their fam
ily, had the distinct honor of being The Big Issue. Not, mind you, the only issue. Oh no. Sela, Livie and Rea were loaded down with all sorts of familial and individual issues. Dysfunctional could take lessons from the sisters, but trust held court at the top of the list.

  Trying to talk to a non-trusting, highly suspicious individual was extremely annoying. Especially when they didn’t have a lot of time.

  If only Mac were here he . . . it hit Sela with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. Oh, so this is how he . . . when I . . . well, damn it all.

  Sela sorted through a wide variety of blistering curses.

  She thrust her shoulders back. There are extremely good and logical reasons for those familial issues. I just have to work harder at getting Livie to believe me.

  “Just try and set aside your doubts and look at this logically.”

  Livie snorted around a mouth full of food. Sela ignored her.

  “If we have strange powers then it makes sense that there would be others out there with different abilities too, right? I mean we can’t be the only ones with powers in this entire world. What are the odds?”

  Livie gulped down her mouthful. She twirled the fork in her pasta, winding up another huge bite. The pasta dripped butter, Livie’s voice dripped sarcasm. “And yet, somehow we have never come across these other people with other abilities, despite traveling all over the country and many parts of the world? Come on, Sela, it would be kind of hard to miss someone turning furry once a month. Didn’t you see ‘An American Werewolf in London’?”

  Livie popped the pasta in her mouth.

  “Yes, I saw the movie,” Sela snapped. “But think about it, if you were a werewolf, or had other abilities, wouldn’t you hide those powers from the rest of the world? Look at us, Livie, what have we been doing all of our lives?”

  Livie spoke around the pasta. “Our powers are not active Sela.”

  Sela eyed the mark on her arm. She glanced around the crowded restaurant. She’d save that one for when they had privacy. Maybe then Livie would start believing her.

  Hannah, but she is a hard nut to crack. I’m her sister, she should just . . . oops. I mean I don’t blame her for not believing me or trusting me. If I grew up like she did, I . . . wait, I did grow up like her.

  Sela’s sigh ruffled her hair.

  Well, hell. This is getting complicated.

  Livie arched a brow at Sela’s sigh. She opened her mouth and promptly choked. Sela jumped up and rushed around the table to thump her on the back.

  Livie coughed and sputtered. Sela pounded. Livie cupped her hand over her mouth. Trying not to spew, or unwilling to lose the breath-stealing-clump in her mouth?

  Finally, Livie held up a hand. Sela halted her fist in mid-strike. Hand raised, she waited and watched her closely. Livie grabbed her water, took a small hesitant sip then nodded at Sela.

  Sela held her pose for a minute longer. She wasn’t about to lose Livie to a murderous noodle after all this time. Livie scowled at her and guzzled more water.

  Sela stalked back over to her chair. She leaned across the table and growled at Livie, “What the hell is going on? Why haven’t you been eating?”

  Surprisingly, red pulsed through Livie’s cheeks. Sela sat back, flabbergasted. Embarrassed? Livie?

  “I haven’t found a lot of food to steal,” she mumbled.

  “Why not?” Sela demanded.

  Livie’s head shot up. “You heard that?”

  Sela gave her a wide-eyed and arched browed, “Hel-lo.” She might as well have shouted it.

  Livie frowned at her for a moment. She shrugged. “Just not a lot of food to steal.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  Sela deliberately scanned the crowded restaurant then she folded her arms over her chest and waited.

  The stand-off lasted two minutes.

  Livie picked up her fork and tapped it on her now empty plate. Sela could hear her foot tapping under the table. She tapped and fidgeted. Sela waited.

  Livie peeked at Sela. She tapped the fork harder. Cherry tomatoes didn’t get that red.

  Sela unfolded her arms and leaned forward. How bad could this be?

  “Look,” Livie muttered in a rush. “I got here just after Katrina hit. You have no idea what these people went through, how much damage occurred. It was almost okay when the Red Cross was here. But later . . .” The tapping got louder.

  Sela’s eyes just about popped out of her head. She slapped her hand over her mouth. She coughed a few times.

  “You . . ,” she cleared her throat. “Livie, have you developed a conscience?”

  The fork clattered to the plate. Livie picked it up and made stabbing motions in Sela’s directions. “You really have no idea how bad things were here.” Stab, stab. “How much these people suffered.” Stab, stab. “How hard they’ve worked to rebuild and all the improvements they’ve made. And then the damn oil spill. And then more hurricanes. It just isn’t fair!” Stab, stab. “It isn’t right to steal from people who’ve had it so tough. Plus, you know how hard it is to find work without a good ID. And IDs are damn expensive.” Stab, stab.

  Sela gasped. “You’ve gone legit?”

  A woman, sitting at the table next to them, glared at the sisters. Livie and Sela glared back. The woman sniffed and turned back to her date.

  Livie shrugged, crossed her arms and huffed.

  Sela snickered.

  Livie, eyed the woman and leaned towards Sela. “It’s not funny, damn it.”

  Sela eyed her sister’s thin torso. “No, it’s not funny.” She agreed. “Still, I can’t help but be a little shocked and disappointed Livie. You know that’s not how we were raised.”

  Livie rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, like that woman actually raised us.”

  Good point.

  Livie pushed her chair back. “If you’re done making fun of me, why don’t you pay the bill and meet me outside?”

  Sela clamped her hand over Livie’s wrist.

  “Why don’t you wait while I pay the bill?” She raised her hand for the check.

  Livie twisted her wrist and smiled at Sela. “You have learned a few things. Not quite so trusting anymore.” She placed her hand over Sela’s restraining one. “Good for you, Sis.”

  Was it? Was it really?

  ****

  Sela waited until they reached the edge of the property Livie claimed as hers. She stopped and since they had linked arms again, Livie ground to a halt as well.

  Livie crouched slightly, scanning the area, her gun swinging back and forth.

  “No, Livie.” Sela whispered. “I didn’t sense anything. I have something to show you.”

  Livie tucked the gun back under her pants’ leg. She straightened slowly, still scanning the area.

  Sela rolled her eyes. She knew nothing surrounded them for at least twenty feet in any direction. That’s why she stopped here. Damn it all, would just a little trust kill her? Just for a minute? Livie . . . was totally justified in not trusting her. Sela would’ve done the exact same thing in her shoes.

  This trust crap was giving her a serious headache.

  Livie propped her hands on her hips.

  Sela picked up Livie’s right wrist and turned it so her mark faced up. She held her own out in the same position next to Livie’s. The light from the moon glinted on the identical tattoos. Well, nearly identical – Sela’s glowed in the moonlight.

  She hadn’t charged up her power yet. Why would her mark be glowing already? It didn’t glow in the sunlight. Why would it be glowing in the moon . . . moonlight?

  Sela sucked in a quick breath. Her brain jumped ahead before she could stop it.

  Werewolves and moonlight. Werewolves and mates. Mates and . . .

  Push it down. Push it down.

  Livie ran a shaky finger over Sela’s mark, tracing the glowing lines.

  “Sela?” Livie’s voice shook as well.

  Sela dragged in a much needed breath of air. Right. She had to get Livie to trust her and . . .<
br />
  Argh! Quit using that word!

  Sela pushed her shoulders back. She tugged her wrist free and took a small step back. She concentrated on her mark, letting the power build within her.

  Her mark glowed brighter. In the moonlight the glow turned radiant, shimmering. Iridescent beams seemed to spark in the air above the tattoo, like a reflection glowing off a calm lake.

  Livie gulped. She raised wide, completely shocked and somewhat terrified eyes. “Sela?”

  Sela pulled the energy up. She held her palms up and cautiously edged the power out.

  This was New Orleans, finding moisture was not a problem. It practically hung in the air like a curtain, draping over their skin, the trees, bushes and ground.

  A small bubble of water formed between the two sisters. It grew, slowly at first then faster and faster until Livie inhaled sharply and took a step backwards as if to run. Sela clawed her fingers inward. The bubble quit growing.

  A giant ball of water, about five or six feet across, wiggled and surged in mid air.

  “My power’s active, Livie.” Sela whispered. “Mac sparked it the moment we first touched. It’s not a what like we thought, but a person who can spark it.”

  Sela watched Livie’s blurry figure through the bubble. She couldn’t see her face clearly enough to read her expression.

  “Mac is a werewolf. His friends are werewolves too. His entire clan is.” Blurred Livie shook her head. Sela nodded. “Yes. And they claim that they used to be the guardians of the Elements centuries ago. They say they want to help us again, Livie. They say they want to protect us from the MIBs. Mac told me the MIBs know you are here and they’re on their way.”

  Livie froze, only her distorted edges moving with the waves of the bubble.

  “I came here to help you, Livie. To protect you. But I also need you to help me. I don’t know who to trust. I don’t know what to do.”

  Sela’s hands shook and the bubble broke. Water slumped to the ground, sending mini rivers of leaves and sticks cascading over their shoes.

  With the bubble gone, Sela could clearly see Livie’s shocked face.

  “If Mac is telling me the truth . . . Livie, we could have a home. We could find Rea and be together. No more running or stealing. We could eat every day.”